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WASHINGTON - The General Services Administration (GSA) today won the federal Advisory Council for Historic Preservation's first Chairman's Award for Federal Achievement in Historic Preservation for the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Old San Juan and the former Roxbury Boys Club, now Fairfield Center, in Boston. Both buildings date to 1914.

"We are honored to receive this recognition for the successful work we are doing in historic buildings," said F. Joseph Moravec, Commissioner of GSA's Public Buildings Service (PBS). "GSA's portfolio includes over 400 buildings that are more than 50 years old and potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. More than 200 of these are on the National Register, including 33 National Historic Landmarks. We continue to take very seriously both our statutory obligations to maintain viable historic buildings and our stewardship role as a responsible government agency acting on the trust placed in us by the public. PBS associates work diligently to find partners to help us accomplish our goals."

The ACHP cited the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Old San Juan as an example of a restored historic building that still serves a useful purpose as a courthouse. GSA's restoration of the first important federal building built after Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898 also helped revitalize the city's historic core.
Project partners included the City of San Juan, its planning commission, the University of Puerto Rico, the Archeology Institute of Puerto Rico, the American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The other building, the Roxbury Boys Club, was renovated for offices that house offices for the Social Security Administration and private firms. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and City of Boston grants, along with historic preservation tax credits, provided the resources for the project.

"This project exemplifies the adaptive reuse of threatened historic structures, and how dedicated people and a coalition of interests can work together through creative partnerships to enhance and reinvigorate their neighborhoods and communities." said John L. Nau III, chairman of the ACHP, which advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation issues.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) also won a Chairman's Award for the Cathlapotle Archeological Project at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Washington.

GSA's 14,000 associates help federal agencies better serve the public by acquiring office space, equipment, telecommunications, information technology, supplies and services for one million federal workers in 1,600 communities.